1. Technical Field
The present principles generally relates to adjustable watch straps, more particularly, it relates to an adjustable watch strap having the capability of providing micro adjustments between standard adjustments.
2. Description of Related Art
Watches are popular accessories that traditionally provide the time of day and may provide additional data such as the date, a stop watch, etc. A watch strap which supports the watch preferably fits snugly enough on a user's wrist to resist rotation due to normal hand movements but without the strap being overly tight so as to provide excessive pressure and discomfort to the user.
Metal watch straps and non-metal watch straps are the two main types of watch straps known in the art. The non-metal watch straps may be fabricated out of materials such as leather, plastic or a variety of other materials. The adjustment of metal watch straps is accomplished by adding or removing links to the bracelet portion in order to change the circumferential length of the bracelet.
For non-metal watch straps, the straps typically have a fixed length and the circumferential length that the straps encircle the user's wrist is adjusted by securing the strap to a buckle at different holes on the strap. Tang buckles and deployment buckles are two main types of buckles that are used on non-metal straps in order to connect the straps and secure them on the user's wrist. Tang buckles secure the circumferential length of the strap by including a hook on the buckle which extends into a hole on a strap portion similar to the operation of a traditional belt. Deployment buckles for non-metal straps may also include a buckle head having a hook for extending through holes on a strap portion. However, deployment buckles also contain a plurality of metal strips which when opened, enlarge the circumference of the bracelet and allow for easy removal of the watch. The deployment buckle also protects the watch from being accidentally dropped upon removal because the straps remain connected to the buckle when the buckle is deployed.
A disadvantage of traditional deployment buckles is that the deployment buckle cannot be adjusted easily on the user's wrist once it is secured thereon. In order to adjust the circumferential length of the strap, the watch must be removed and the buckle must be fastened onto another hole on the strap. Sometimes the holes on traditional straps are spaced far apart and a user may not be able to obtain a proper fit with the provided holes. For example, the watch strap may initially not fit well with the provided holes on the watch strap. Alternatively, a watch strap that is initially fitted well on the user's wrist may become too loose or too tight based on environmental conditions or health conditions which affect the width of the user's wrist. In order to overcome this problem a user may have to add intermediary holes between two existing holes on the watch strap which is a difficult task and diminishes the attractiveness and structural integrity of the watch strap.
Watch straps have been made with numerous adjustment mechanisms in order to change the circumferential length of the strap around the user's wrist. However, all adjustable straps have adjustment increments, such as the standard spacing for the holes on a strap, which are unable to provide small or micro changes in the circumferential length of the strap between the provided hole adjustments in the band in order to provide an optimal fit for the user. Non-metal watch straps normally are adjustable by changing the hole that the strap is affixed to the buckle. However, the circumferential length of the watch strap cannot be adjusted solely at the buckle without changing the hole that the watch strap is secured to the buckle.
Accordingly, it is an aspect of the invention to provide a watch strap that provides microadjustments at the buckle in order to make small or micro adjustments to the circumferential length of the watch strap without changing the hole that the strap is affixed to the buckle.
It is another aspect of the invention to provide a watch strap having an adjustment mechanism which permits the user to easily adjust the circumferential length of the strap in small or micro increments without requiring special tools or skills.
It is a further aspect of the invention to provide a watch strap having an adjustment mechanism that is adjustable in small or micro increments and is cost effective to manufacture.
Yet a further aspect of the invention is an adjustable buckle mechanism that is configured to be incorporated into an existing buckle of a watch strap in order to allow the watch strap to be adjustable at the buckle in small or micro increments without changing the hole that the strap is affixed to the buckle.